The Art of Deception
by insignificantramblings
Summary: Three years into their relationship, Éponine and Combeferre announce to their friends that they are expecting their first child together. Aside from Éponine herself, only Enjolras knows the truth: that baby might be his. An E/É/C story; co-written by Brittany (insignificantramblings) and Jess (SleepingwithinWater).
1. Announcements

**Well, hello everyone, and happy 2014! Myself and Jess (SleepingwithinWater) have been friends for some time now (we met on here!) and were discussing the possibility of collaborating on a story, and thus, this was born! We're anticipating weekly updates, and we'll be switching back and forth writing chapters. We hope everyone enjoys this (drama filled!) story! **

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"You're sure you want to do this tonight?" Éponine questioned nervously, her hands sweaty as she clutched her boyfriend. Combeferre looked down at her, a smile adorning his face.

"Absolutely… we have to share the news, I'm so excited!" He looked so happy, that Éponine couldn't help the smile that spread across her own face.

"As long as you're sure." She conceded, and he nodded vigorously, his fingers tugging her hand as he practically skipped to the entrance of the Musain. Éponine tried to ignore her hammering heart, but to no avail; she felt as if it would burst out of her chest at any moment.

It was only the sure grip of Combeferre's hand that kept Éponine rooted to the present. It was the same hand that had helped her up nearly three years earlier, the one that had rescued her, and still, the one she held onto.

"_Where is the money, god dammit!" His voice was getting louder, his movements becoming more erratic. She knew him, had known him for years. She knew he was violent, but that side of him had always been reserved for others; he had never treated her with anything but kindness and love. _

_But now, in the heat of the moment, in the game of kill or be killed, Montparnasse had turned on her, just as she always knew he would. He was collecting money for her father, money that she 'owed' him after she left his 'employment', to find a more honorable and moral job working at a coffee shop. _

"_I don't owe him anything!" Éponine shouted, her speech garbled by the blood in her mouth. He had hit her once already, knocking her to the ground and bloodying her nose and lips. _

"_He says you do, which means I need to get it! You know how this works!" _

_Across the street, three young men were leaving a library, their arms laden with books. The sounds of yelling alerted them to Éponine's situation, and they cautiously crossed the road to investigate. _

"_Isn't that the barista in that new café they just opened?" Enjolras whispered urgently as they got closer. _

"_I think it is…do you think that's her boyfriend? We have to be careful, call the cops, he might have a weapon on him, Combeferre what are you – " Courfeyrac said, his voice level rising as his hand shot out to grab Combeferre. It was to no avail; the young medical student was already halfway to Éponine and Montparnasse, his thoughts focused on one thing: making sure she was okay. _

"_Excuse me!" Combeferre said loudly. Montparnasse whipped back, his hand reaching into his pocket to pull out a knife. "Is everything alright?" He directed this at Éponine. _

"_Jesus fucking Christ." Enjolras growled, before grabbing Courfeyrac's jacket sleeve and dragging him to Combeferre's side. _

"_Isn't he supposed to be the logical one?" Courfeyrac hissed as he glared at Enjolras. The blonde shrugged, his fingers clutched tightly around the Swiss army knife he kept in his pocket. _

_Éponine blinked in confusion at the man in front of her, who had just charged into danger to ask if she was alright. Was he crazy?  
_

"_I'm…" She started, but Montparnasse cut her off. _

"_We're fine. Lover's quarrel, nothing to worry about. You know how women are." He said this in a condescending tone; as if his 'man to man' talk would make Combeferre walk away. _

"_I don't think she's fine." Combeferre said firmly, moving his eyes back to Éponine. "Are you?" _

_Montparnasse took a step forward, and Enjolras pulled out his knife. "I wouldn't." He said, a warning tone in his voice. Montparnasse looked from Combeferre to Enjolras, and then to Courfeyrac, who had a phone in his hand, clearly ready to call the police. Sensing his impending defeat, he lowered his own weapon, before turning back to Éponine. _

"_The money." He said harshly, a sneer overtaking his features. "You're lucky that they showed up." Recognizing the warning, Éponine nodded, fear flooding her stomach. With one last glare, Montparnasse darted down the alley and out of sight. _

"_Are you – " Courfeyrac started, but Enjolras grabbed his arm again, this time pulling him away from Éponine. "What in the bloody hell – " _

"_Let 'Ferre handle it." Enjolras said, his eyes trained on the pair, now several feet from them. _

"_Are you trying to be a matchmaker?" Courfeyrac said incredulously, his eyebrows raised. In lieu of an answer, Enjolras hit him on the arm, before turning his back on Combeferre and Éponine. _

"_Are you okay?" Combeferre asked, suddenly feeling very shy now that his adrenaline was wearing off. A blush flooded his cheeks as Éponine looked up at him. _

"_I'm okay, I…he wouldn't have hurt me. I've known him awhile, and I can take care of myself." She said this with conviction, as if she had proven it many times in her life. "But…thank you." _

"_Of course." Combeferre said, looking around awkwardly. "I mean…I don't usually…I…you're working at the café, now, right? The new one that just opened?" _

"_The Musain. You…you're one of those students that comes in at night." Éponine said, the realization dawning on her. Combeferre nodded eagerly. _

"_Yes, me and my friends…we sort of have a little…club, if you will, and we discuss it there. It's a lovely café." Combeferre mentally smacked himself; __**a lovely café?**_

"_It's nice." _

_Several seconds passed, before Combeferre jumped back into action. "I'm sorry, you're sitting on the ground, bleeding, and I'm rambling about the café. Here, my flat's right around the corner, and I've got some medical supplies, so we can get you patched up." He offered her his hand, and she took it. He pulled her up, and when they were level, Combeferre finally understood why he had charged over to help a stranger in a fight with a man holding a knife. _

_The realization nearly knocked him over. He felt dizzy, and sick to his stomach as their eyes met. Combeferre believed in soul mates and fate, and knew that in meeting Éponine_,_ he had just begun the rest of his life. _

"Hello, everyone!" Combeferre called, his hand still gripping Éponine's as he held the door to the Musain open for her. It had been nearly three years since that fateful night, and the two of them had been dating for nearly that entire time. It had taken some courage on Combeferre's part to finally ask her to be his girlfriend, but since that point, they had been inseparable.

A chorus of "hellos" echoed through the coffee shop and Combeferre grinned, practically bouncing on his toes as he and Éponine came further into the room. Cosette and Marius were standing by the counter, stirring their tea, while everyone else was gathered in the center of the room, passing papers between them. With everyone almost done with college, and Éponine co-owner of the Musain, the ABC Society was in full swing.

"Could I have everyone's attention?" Combeferre yelled, and the room fell quiet. Enjolras grudgingly turned away from the paper he was holding to regard his best friend, mumbling "this better be good" under his breath.

"Well, as you guys know, Éponine and I have been together a long time…"

"They don't need a history, they were there." Éponine said quietly, a smile tugging at her lips as she regarded her excited boyfriend.

"Yes, right." Combeferre said, his face reddening. "Well…uh…you see…sometimes things don't happen when you…" He trailed off, his eyes straying to Éponine. "You tell them."

"You're sure?" Éponine asked, amused at his inability to speak.

"Logically, I think you should."

"Well, it is all about logic, isn't it?" Éponine teased, before leaning up and kissing him lightly on the mouth. "As long as you're sure."

"For the love of all that is holy, will someone tell us." Grantaire barked, earning a disapproving stare from Courfeyrac and Enjolras.

"What Combeferre is trying to say is, that we are expecting a baby!" Éponine said, a smile breaking over her face. After a second's hesitation, the room exploded. Cosette screamed. Marius dropped his tea. Grantaire's beer fell out of his hand. Jehan's hands clapped over his mouth, unintelligible words coming out of his mouth. It was chaos as everyone came forward to congratulate them.

Éponine smiled and laughed, hugging Cosette as Combeferre shook hands with his friends, a layer of tears over his eyes. He was laughing, repeating "a BABY!" over and over, in case someone hadn't gotten the message.

"Congratulations." A dull, emotionless voice broke through the din, and Éponine turned to face Enjolras, whose face was blank.

"Don't." She said warningly. "Don't ruin this."

"If I ruined it, it wouldn't be just my fault, would it?"

"It was a mistake."

"Mistake or not, it happened. And we know what that means."

"Don't." Éponine said again, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. Everyone was gathered around Combeferre, who was still laughing and shouting.

"Fine, Éponine, but we both know that baby could be mine."

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**If anyone has read either mine or Jess's stories, you should have seen that last line coming (how we love e/e!) Drop us a review; anything you want to see happen, any predictions, reactions, etc; we want to hear from you! We also are individually working on other stories; Jess has "Speakeasy Child" and "Nomads" as her two newest ones, and I am working on a murder mystery called "Guilt". All three are e/e set outside of canon era. **

**As always, thank you for all the support, and MUCH love! **

**xoxo Brittany (and Jess, of course, who will be writing the next chapter soon!) **


	2. Trumping

**A/N: This is slightly daunting.**

**Okay! Hello. I am not Brittany; I am Jess (**_**SleepingwithinWater**_**)! I'm actually both really nervous and really excited about this story, so bear with me.**

**Disclaimer: We don't own jack.**

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Éponine watched Enjolras walk away, her face falling. She bit her lower lip and sighed.

It had been an accident. Okay, accident probably wasn't the right word; but she didn't plan to fool around with Enjolras, but she certainly didn't fight it either. Who would, anyway? With a face and body like his, any girl would certainly accept any advances he made toward them. (Maybe not Cosette, since she was so infatuated with Marius, but she didn't really count.) Especially when Enjolras so rarely made any advances toward _any _girl, the ones he paid attention to generally counted themselves lucky.

Éponine turned around and went to the door, flipping the 'open' sign to 'closed.' She figured they'd all be there late again, and besides the _Amis_, no other customers were in the café; there was no harm in closing a little early.

As she turned around to head back to the crew, Éponine caught sight of Combeferre speaking rapidly with Joly. The two were good friends: both of them had a job at the hospital and they talked about anything and everything. She felt a pang in her chest when Combeferre turned around and beckoned her over; she felt so awful. She'd felt that way since _it _had happened. Every time she looked at Combeferre she couldn't help but think about the night she had betrayed him. If she _ever _told him, she would be ruined. She hoped he would look past it and forgive her, but she knew that probably wouldn't be the case. Combeferre was big on loyalty and anyone would broke his trust he usually had a tough time looking past their mistake.

Walking over to the counter and plastering on a smile, Éponine slipped underneath Combeferre's arm and smiled up at him. He smiled back proudly and then looked to Joly. "We would like to ask you something, Joly."

Éponine faltered, but held her smile firm. They hadn't discussed asking Joly anything.

Joly laughed and stood a little straighter, his face flushed with delight from the news of the child and maybe from one too many beers. "Ask away, Senor Papa!"

"Would you like to be the baby's godfather? I mean, I'm not too big on the godfather-godmother-thing; it seems a little useless. But if anything were to happen to us, we'd want the baby to go to you."

_We would? _Éponine thought. Joly? Who sanitized his hands once every fifteen minutes? God, the baby would be wrapped in bubble wrap if – God forbid – he or she had to go live with Joly.

Joly's eyes brimmed with tears and Éponine mentally took back her hesitations. He would be perfect for the child. The young doctor held out his hand and Combeferre eagerly shook it. "Of course. I would be honored to be the baby's godfather."

Combeferre let go of Éponine for a moment and pulled his friend into a tight hug. "Thank you."

Joly pulled back and clasped his friend's shoulder. "No! Thank you!"

The two laughed and Éponine slipped away after planting a kiss on her boyfriend's cheek. She received plenty of congratulations and hugs on her way to Cosette, returning each one with a small thanks and smile.

Cosette sat at one of the tall bar tables, searching through her phone. Éponine hoisted herself up on the stool across from her friend. The two had taken awhile to grow together. After the incidents with Marius and Éponine's jealousy, they had really avoided one another for the better part of a year. But then Éponine had started to date around (She even dated Bahorel for awhile.) and she then got serious with Combeferre and soon she and Cosette were going out for coffee every single Wednesday and then they considered themselves to be best friends.

Cosette looked up from her phone and squeezed Éponine's hand. "Congratulations, Ép!"

Éponine smiled genuinely for the first time that night. "Thanks! It's… really exciting."

"I know! I'm already looking up baby names." She looked back to her phone and Éponine smirked, shaking her head. "Just listen to these: Jennifer, Sarah, Ruth, Alexis. Allison!"

"You know, the baby could be a boy," Éponine pointed out.

"Yeah, I've planned for that, too." Cosette scrolled down a little bit, her brow furrowed. "Okay. Thomas, William, Xavier, Bennett. Oh! You could name him after Combeferre: Alexander!"

Éponine laughed, her face warming. _Or after Enjolras: Charlie. _"We have a lot of time to plan, Cosette. Anyway, I wanted to ask you a question."

Cosette set her phone down and looked up, smiling. "Sure. I'll be the baby's godmother."

Éponine's jaw dropped. She blinked and looked to the left, pursing her lips. "Well – uh.."

"Éponine, how many other _female _friends to you have?"

Éponine blushed and nodded, seeing Cosette's point. Besides April who worked at the café and sometimes went to dinner with Éponine, Cosette was really the only female friend Éponine had. "You still could have let me ask." She raised her eyebrow and smiled fondly.

"Right. Sorry!" Cosette sat straighter and raised her eyebrows. "What sort of question?"

Éponine chuckled. "Will you be the baby's godmother?"

Cosette squealed and hoped down from her stool, swooping Éponine into a big hug. "Yes! Yes! Yes! I'll be the best aunty every; I promise!"

Éponine laughed and hugged her friend back. "I know. That's why I asked you."

Cosette let go of Éponine, patted her cheek, and rushed off to Marius. "Marius, guess what?!" she hollered.

Éponine smiled widely and went behind the counter. "Round of drinks on the house!"

There were cheers and a swarm of people to the counter, all yelling different drink orders. Grantaire raised his hand from the front of the group. "Since you can't have alcohol, Ép, I'll take yours!"

Éponine laughed and beckoned Jehan over, who worked part time at the café. They set about making the drinks and handing them out. Halfway through the group, Éponine heard the doorbells jingle as the door opened. She set down the cup she was working on and smiled to the red headed woman who walked in the door.

"Sorry. We're closed."

The woman smiled impishly, but made no move to leave. Éponine frowned and was about to say it again, this time more forcefully, when Enjolras walked over, put his arm around the woman's shoulder and smiled triumphantly at Éponine. "She's with me."

The whole room got quiet, very quiet. It was if the whole group was attuned to listen to solely Enjolras' voice. They turned around, holding their drinks, and remained silent. Éponine felt her stomach quiver.

That was good, wasn't it? He was out of the way.

Why didn't it feel good? Why did she feel like it only added more problems?

Grantaire was the first to speak. "What?"

Enjolras sighed and held the woman closer to his side. Éponine twitched her nose; there was a bit of jealously forming in her stomach. She pushed it away, confused. "I said," he repeated. "She's with me."

"What does that mean?" Grantaire continued.

"Like your sister?" Courfeyrac made a face, obviously hoping the woman, who was indeed very pretty, was single and not Enjolras' girlfriend.

The woman laughed. "No. His girlfriend. I'm May."

Everyone still remained silent and May looked up at Enjolras. Éponine could sense the worry in her stance and facial expression. It was daunting to meet _Les Amis _for the first time, she knew. They were all very close friends and they didn't really take too kindly to strangers. Or to brand new girlfriends.

But this was Enjolras. No one knew what went on in his head.

"Cool." Grantaire downed the drink and slammed it on the counter, not breaking eye contact with Enjolras. "Gimme another."

"Yep," Éponine whispered, pouring him another drink.

"Well, nice to meet you." Marius was the first to attempt getting things back to normal. No one followed suit.

Éponine could tell Enjolras was growing angry. He sighed loudly and closed his eyes. "You're all angry."

"How long have you been dating?" Marius asked, ignoring Enjolras.

"About three months."

Éponine chuckled ruefully, looking down at the counter. Enjolras was a cheater, too, then.

"Three months?!" Combeferre's eyes widened. Éponine went to stand beside him, circling her arm around his elbow.

"That's nice," Marius continued. May was staring at him with obvious gratitude. Enjolras was continuing his stare-down with Combeferre, and was of no help at all to his girlfriend. "Where'd you meet?"

"At school – in the library. He's told me all such wonderful things about you." May took a glance around the angry _amis. _She swallowed nervously.

"You've had a girlfriend for three months and you didn't bother to tell you anything?!" Combeferre's voice was hard with anger. Éponine squeezed his forearm.

"It didn't seem relevant at the time."

"Nothing was going on!" Courferyac jumped in. "So you wait until Combeferre and Éponine announce that they're pregnant to bring your girlfriend in? That's low, man, even for you."

Enjolras rolled his eyes. "I'd been planning on introducing her to you all tonight. It was they who-"

"You're going to blame it on us now?" Combeferre took a threatening step forward, but Éponine held him back.

"No one is blaming anything on any one!" Jehan held up his hands and sighed, going over to wrap May in a hug. He pulled back and shoved Enjolras to the side, sending him a glare over his shoulder. "Nice to meet you! I'm Jehan. Sorry we're all such asses. Want anything to drink?"

* * *

Around one o'clock in the morning everyone had piled out of the café in one way or another. Éponine and Combeferre were left, wiping down the last of the tables. Éponine finished the table she was wiping and stood up, cracking her back.

"Well, that was certainly a very interesting night," she said, throwing the rag into the sink and flipping off the kitchen light.

"I agree." Combeferre stood up and handed Éponine his own rag, which she tossed into the sink as well.

After Jehan had offered May a drink, effectively leading her away from the brimming argument, Combeferre and Enjolras had had a very heated argument, albeit quiet enough so May couldn't hear. Combeferre accused Enjolras of trying to one-up his announcement and Enjolras was angry that Combeferre couldn't just be happy for him.

In the end, they had apologized and forgiven each other, much to everyone's relief – especially Éponine's.

Combeferre grabbed his coat and shrugged it on, holding Éponine's up for her as she slipped in her arms and pulled it tight. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Éponine nodded and took a look around the café. So much had happened there. She was glad she now co-owned it; it made her proud. And with the other owner gone so much of the time, it was basically like she owned it herself.

Éponine would have never dreamed she'd come this far. She looked up at Combeferre and smiled; he bent down and kissed her lightly.

"I know, I'm proud of you, too."

Éponine did her best to push away the thought of telling him what she'd done and what the outcome could be, but he looked too happy. She smiled and sighed.

"I'm tired. Let's go home."

"I couldn't agree more." And with that, Combeferre picked Éponine up from beneath her legs and carried her through the door.

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**Brittany will be back next chapter! Don't forget to leave comments and suggestions. :D**

**xoxo, Gossip Girl. (Just kidding.)**


	3. Accidental

**Hello everyone, Brittany again! Hope you're all enjoying this, and DON'T forget to leave any requests (anything you'd like to see in this story!) in the review box! We don't have an extremely definitive plan as of yet, so any thoughts are welcome! Without further ado, here's the next installment, with a little bit of Enjolras thoughts/backstory! **

**Chapter Three: Accidental **

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In his defense, he didn't mean for it to happen.

No, Charles Enjolras had definitely _not_ meant to sleep with his best friend's girlfriend. It had just sort of…happened.

_2 Months Earlier _

"_I'll make sure to get all the necessary pamphlets and stuff printed out…how many copies?" Courfeyrac prompted, his fingers hovering over his phone to write himself a note. Enjolras looked up distractedly from the pile of papers in front of him._

"_What?" He asked, his eyes blinking slowly to adjust. He had been staring at text for so long that seeing properly was becoming an issue. _

"_I just need to know how many copies of the pamphlets I need to print for the protest." Courfeyrac repeated patiently. _

"_Ah. Sorry. We'll start with a hundred. If we're getting down too low during the event, someone can run off some more copies." _

"_Roger that." Courfeyrac said, raising his hand in a mock salute. "Is…is everything okay? You seem sort of distracted." _

"_More than usual?" Enjolras questioned, cocking an eyebrow questioningly. _

"_Slightly." Courfeyrac said, his shoulders shrugging. "You just seem like you've got more on your plate than usual." _

"_I'm just stressed. The protest…and then student body elections, and this huge paper I've got coming up for my common law class…when it rains, it pours, yeah?" _

"_Seems to." Courfeyrac agreed. "In two weeks you'll have nothing to do at all."_

"_Doubtful."_

"_Touché." Courfeyrac laughed, before clapping a hand on Enjolras's arm. "If you need anything else, let me know. I'm going to head out."_

_Enjolras nodded his understanding, a sideways smile adorning his lips. As soon as Courfeyrac had turned around, he looked back down at his work, the stress already creeping back into his shoulders as he considered the papers in front of him. On top, he had his speech draft for the protest set for the next morning, a sort of sit-in regarding university budget cuts. Under that, he had the first draft of his common law paper, which only contained his name, and the words "sixteen pages on common law in the United States". Finally, to his left, he had a small stack of campaign posters, designed by Grantaire, that highlighted why he, Charles Enjolras, should be the president of the student government committee. _

_It was all very exhausting. _

_But, Enjolras was used to stress. He always took a full load of classes, had always been the leader of the ABC Society, and had always been involved with the government society. Maybe it was age, or maybe he was finally getting to his breaking point. _

_In any case, he had no time for a breakdown. _

"_Éponine, I'm fine." _

"_No, Combeferre, you're not." _

_Ah, a lover's spat. Exactly the reason Enjolras tended to avoid contact with the opposite sex. Except for recently, he had to remind himself. He had gone out a few times with a very nice girl named May. It was nothing serious, not yet anyway, but Enjolras could say that he genuinely enjoyed her company. She was smart; they had met in a law class at the university. She could keep up with him intellectually and figuratively; he was always running around, and she was surprisingly okay with that. She wasn't his girlfriend officially, but he could sense that maybe she would be soon. _

_He thought about telling Combeferre about May; after all, he was Enjolras's best friend, and deserved to hear the news first. But then…Enjolras knew he would have to hear the inevitable comment about May being his first love, and Enjolras didn't want to have to lie through his teeth to agree. _

_Because he _certainly_ couldn't tell Combeferre that Éponine had been his first love. _

_That first day, the day in the alley with Montparnasse. Enjolras had recognized Éponine even before Combeferre. He had been frequenting the café for several weeks longer than his friends had, and he had developed a sort of…bond with the new barista. She was witty, and didn't take any shit from customers, which was an attribute that Enjolras – who spent hours at a time studying in the café – picked up on immediately. She sat with him for lunch the afternoon before her altercation with Montparnasse, and the two had talked about everything from Jane Austen to the weather. Enjolras left the café that night with a strange feeling in his stomach, an almost lightness, and inexplicable happiness. _

_Fate, however, would step in, and it would be Combeferre that would come to her rescue, Combeferre who would date her, and it would be Combeferre that she would fall in love with. She would never know the high hopes Enjolras had in his mind for her, for them, and he, out of respect for his best friend, would never voice them. _

_And that was why he didn't want to tell Combeferre about May. Not yet, at least. _

"_Go home, 'Ferre, take some Tylenol or something, and lie down." Éponine was still chastising her boyfriend, who was petulantly ignoring her. _

"_I told you, I feel fine." _

"_You're burning up." Éponine countered, the back of her hand raising to rest against Combeferre's forehead. "You need to get the fever down and get some rest." _

"_I don't want to go without you." _

"_I know you have a protective streak." Éponine said softly, her fingers brushing back her boyfriend's hair. "But I'll be okay getting home on my own."_

"_Hey, 'Ferre, I'm just heading out now, I can drop you off at your place and then Éponine can take the car back!" Jehan called cheerfully. Combeferre missed the grateful look Éponine shot Jehan, though Enjolras did not. He knew that sometimes Éponine was exasperated by Combeferre's protectiveness, even though it was what brought them together in the first place. _

"_Are you…" Combeferre started, but Éponine jumped in. _

"_That's a wonderful idea, why don't you go? I'll get everything set here, and then Enjolras will close up whenever he decides to leave, and I'll drive your car back?" _

_Combeferre hesitated. "I could use some rest." He conceded, and Éponine's shoulders dropped in relief. _

"_Thank you." She said, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Go drink some tea, and get in bed."_

"_Love you." Combeferre said softly, leaning forward to press a kiss to Éponine's forehead, before reaching down to grab his jacket. _

"_Love you, too." Éponine replied, a hint of a smile on her face. "I'll try not to wake you up when I get in."_

"_Don't worry about it, I want to know when you're back anyway." _

_With a small wave to the rest of the café, Combeferre and Jehan exited, leaving only Éponine, Grantaire, and Enjolras. Grantaire lived in the small loft above the café, and usually stumbled up the stairs around eleven. _

"_I'm going to turn in!" Grantaire suddenly announced, standing wobbly from his seat and raising his bottle to say goodnight to Enjolras. "Try not to work too hard, marble man." _

"_Never." Enjolras said sarcastically, to which both Éponine and Grantaire laughed. _

"_Night Princess." Grantaire called to Éponine, blowing her a kiss with his free hand. She laughed, pausing her cleaning to pretend to catch it out of the air. _

"_Goodnight!" Grantaire disappeared around the corner, and after several loud bangs, it was clear to Enjolras and Éponine that he was up the stairs and in his apartment. _

_Enjolras continued to work in silence as Éponine started putting up the chairs. The tasks were always the same: wipe down the counter, put up the chairs, sweep the floor, check to make sure all the coffee makers were set to go off at five in the morning, make sure the stove was off, say goodnight to Enjolras, and leave. The first night Enjolras stayed late, he asked Éponine if she needed any help with the chores, and she had told him firmly that she did _not_ need his help, all she needed him to do was turn off the lights and lock the door when he was done working. She didn't mind him staying later than her, as long as those two things were done. _

_Twenty minutes later, the stove was checked, and Éponine was jingling Combeferre's keys in her hand, ready to go. "Enjolras." She said sternly, causing him to look up from his law book in alarm. "What are your two tasks when you leave?" _

"_To turn off the lights, and lock the door."_

"_Yes. I know I've told you before, and it really pains me to treat you like a child sometimes, but I came in this morning and the lights were still on. That's the second time this has happened this week. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but when the lights are on, the electricity bill is – "_

"_Higher." Enjolras supplied, to which Éponine nodded. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again…but are you _sure _they were on? Like, really sure?" _

_Éponine's eyes narrowed. "Are you calling me a liar?" _

"_No!" Enjolras said, standing from his seat and putting his hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying that I'm pretty sure I turned them off last night." _

"_And I'm pretty sure they were on this morning."_

"_Look, if you need money to cover the difference, I – " It was very much the wrong thing for Enjolras to say. _

"_Listen here, you rich son of a bitch." Éponine started, her eyes wide, her finger shaking in Enjolras's direction. "I can pay the few fucking cents difference in the bill. I'm co-owner of this place, you understand? That means I'm responsible for half of the bills, and half of the profits. Haven't you noticed in your little bubble you're always in that this place is always packed? In case your college educated brain can't figure this out, that means we are making money, and therefore, I can pay the difference in the fucking bill. What I don't appreciate is the fact that I'm doing you a favor, letting you stay here late, and you can't follow a single fucking direction to save your damn – " _

_Maybe Enjolras was sick of hearing her yell, or maybe she had gotten too close, maybe she smelled too good, or looked too fierce with her hair falling in her face and her eyes ablaze, but something…something had come over him, and he had done the only thing he could think of: he kissed her. _

_He kissed Éponine Thenardier, the girlfriend of his best friend, the girl he had been curious about before Combeferre had even known her name, and the girl he didn't think he would ever get out of his head. _

_He kissed her, and somehow, she kissed him back. _

_And somehow, they ended up on the counter of the Musain Café, her skirt up around her waist, her underwear pulled down to her knees, her legs wrapped around his midsection as he pounded into her again, and again, and again, until he thought he would _break_ from the pressure, or explode from the pent up desire finally being released. _

_When they were done, they were silent. He pushed his member back into his pants, before pulling the zipper up quickly. She unhooked her shaking legs from around his waist, one hand reaching down blindly to tug her underwear back into place. She jumped off the counter, hastily pulling her skirt back down and smoothing her hair, before blindly taking Combeferre's keys off the counter along with her jacket, and heading for the door. _

"_Éponine – " Enjolras started, but she turned around, her eyes wild. _

"_Don't."_

"_But – " _

"_I don't want to fucking talk about it." She said harshly. "As far as I am concerned, that did not just happen." She turned back to the door, before taking a deep breath and rolling her shoulders. _

"_And don't forget to turn off the lights tonight." _

* * *

**Don't forget to let us know what you think! Jess will be back with the next chapter soon! **


	4. Questions

**A/N: Jess again. Sorry this update took so long; I am in the middle of serious case of brain-blockage.**

**(ALSO, I'M GOING TO NYC FOR THIS FIRST TIME THIS WEEKEND. HOLY SHIT. I AM PEEING MYSELF I'M SO EXCITED!)**

* * *

Of everything Éponine had ever gone through, pregnancy had to be the most mundane. After finding out that she was pregnant, Combeferre had gone out and checked out several books from the library on what to expect when you were expecting. So far she had yet to experience anything that even hinted toward the fact that she was pregnant.

At first, this made both Éponine and Combeferre quite nervous; maybe it was just a false alarm. Maybe she wasn't actually pregnant. But when Éponine was absolutely positive she had missed her monthly, and three pregnancy tests had come back positive, Combeferre drove Éponine to the doctor just to make doubly sure. The doctor had taken a test and confirmed their suspicions: Éponine was most certainly pregnant – around two months. He said it was normal for some women to not experience the signs, but they would come eventually.

This Éponine dreaded. Each morning she woke up expecting to feel sick to her stomach, for her ankles to be slightly swollen, or for her stomach to be protruding a little more than usual; but each morning she woke up and nothing was different. The most exciting thing about her pregnancy was the anxiety she felt when thinking about throwing up every morning.

Three days after Éponine's announcement to the lads, classes for _Les Amis _started up again for the new semester and work went back into full swing. Éponine had decided not to pursue a college degree – for the time being. Since she'd become the co-owner of the café, school had been pushed onto the back burner. She felt slightly awkward while all of her friends were away, studying, or furthering their career, and she was just managing a coffee shop (a rather lucrative one at that).

The morning rolled around like any other: Combeferre's alarm went off at six-thirty, waking Éponine up like it did every morning. She groaned and burrowed her head under her pillow, faintly hearing Comberferre's chuckle. He brushed a hand through her hair and whispered a quiet "Goodbye." She soon heard him trudge out the bedroom door and then the water in the bathroom start up. To the tune of his hummings, Éponine fell back asleep.

* * *

Later on that morning, Éponine went to the café to open up; on Tuesdays and Thursdays the Musain opened at eleven rather than seven in the morning. She pulled the keys out of her pocket, pushing open the door with her hip. Looking up to the ceiling, Éponine was pleasantly surprised to see that the lights had been turned off.

The aroma of coffee and pastries filled the air. Éponine breathed in deeply and smiled; she would never get sick of that smell – no matter what pregnancy sensitivities she had.

"'Taire?!" Éponine threw her bag over the counter, looking around for her most trusted employee.

Grantaire poked his head out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel, wearing his usual apron. "Hey, Ép!"

She smiled and came around the counter, pulling on her apron, as well, then throwing up her hair into a ponytail. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty well; glad to be getting back into more of a routine. You feeling okay?"

"Mhmm." Éponine nodded and walked to the door, flipping the sign over to 'open.' "Still no morning sickness and whatever. Thank the Lord!"

Grantaire laughed, grabbing a damp rag to wipe down the counter in front of him. "You should get ready, sweetheart. It's probably on its way."

Éponine shrugged, greeting the first customer with a smile. "I suppose. Besides, it can't be too bad, right?" Grantaire raised his eyebrows, causing Éponine to feel like he knew more than was letting on. But when the customer came to the register, she let the subject drop.

When the woman received her order and went her own way, Éponine looked around her, noting the lack of employees. There should have been two other workers there: Jay and Christine. "Where are Jay and Christine?" Éponine asked, sighing.

Grantaire winced. "No idea. You know they're a thing, right?"

"Of course." Éponine blanched just thinking about how she'd caught them in the ladies' bathroom one evening. "But that should not hinder them from coming into work."

Grantaire raised his arms in defeat, nodding. "Believe me, boss, I know! I could give them a call?"

Éponine shook her head, waving the problem off. "This is only second time. I'll let it slide for now. I'm feeling generous."

Grantaire laughed. "We're pretty slow right now so – "

Éponine nodded, well aware of what he wanted. "Go do your research. But stay close by!"

Grantaire planted a sloppy kiss on Éponine's cheek, running back into the kitchen. "You're a saint!"

Éponine looked over her shoulder, smiling fondly. Grantaire was desperately trying to find some sort of a job as an artist; he had a small degree in the field, but so far had been unsuccessful in finding any sort of occupation he actually liked. She turned back to the sound of an all-too-familiar voice: "Some would say a push over, but each to their own."

Éponine rolled her tongue over her teeth in agitation and looked up at Enjolras, scowling. "What? Is that supposed to be a dig at something?" Enjolras shrugged, picking at something on the other side of the counter. He looked up and gave her a pointed look; Éponine nearly lost her breath, but she held her composure. "Shouldn't you be at classes?"

Enjolras shook his head, rummaging for his wallet. "Next one starts at three."

"Oh.." She twitched her nose. "Can I get you anything?"

Enjolras nodded. "The regular, please." Éponine went about making Enjolras' usual: a chocolate, raspberry chai. It was rather an odd drink; one Éponine had been surprised to learn was Enjolras' favorite. Still, he got it everyday and Éponine was a master at making it. She could do it with her eyes closed if she wanted to.

Finishing the drink in a flash, Éponine set it in front of Enjolras and took his money. He picked it up, smiled with tight lips, and walked to his usual table. Éponine resumed her work, trying desperately not to think about Enjolras and his new bloody girlfriend.

What a way to crash a party!

Éponine and Grantaire continued to work the day away (without any help from the other absent employees). Enjolras left a little before his next class was supposed to begin; and soon after three, the regular trio – Jehan, Bahorel, and Feuilly – stammered into the café, requesting their usual as well. From three until God-knew-when, the Musain would be bustling with amis and their political banter and homework questions.

To Éponine, it was the best part of her day.

She delivered the boys their orders and sat down across from them, thankful the shop wasn't so busy at the moment. "How was your day, lads?" she asked, leaning back in her chair.

Jehan, a first grade teacher, rolled his eyes and groaned. "I'm usually really excited for work, but not this week. I'm about ready to strangle these kids, regardless of how cute they are!"

Bahorel clapped his friend's shoulders. He ran a boxing school in the middle of downtown. "Bring them into me and we can work some of their energy out."

"Ha! Maybe I will..." Jehan shook his head ruefully and took a sip of his coffee.

"Well, as for me, I had a wonderful day!" Feuilly slapped the table with force and smiled brightly.

"Oh! Do tell." Éponine sat forward, listening intently.

"I met this guy – "Éponine shared an excited look with Jehan and Bahorel punched his friend's shoulder. Feuilly blushed and ducked his head. "We're going out for dinner tonight."

"That's great, Feuilly!" Jehan nodded his approval and shared a look with Bahorel that Éponine would have had to be blind not to catch. She let it slide and turned to her friend.

"That is terrific. We're all really happy for you."

Feuilly leaned back and smirked. "Good, cause he's coming over here before we go out."

Éponine shook her head fondly and stood up. "I should get back to work."

Jehan looked around the restaurant. "There's no one here, Ép."

She rolled her eyes and moved away slowly. "Shut up, asshole."

Éponine went back behind the counter and pulled a stool behind her, sitting up on it, breathing deeply. Grantaire looked up from his laptop on the counter. "You okay?"

She nodded, closing her eyes, focusing on her breathing. Suddenly she was so tired, and slightly dizzy, too. Éponine cleared her throat and shifted on the stool, putting her hand on her stomach. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said breathlessly.

"You don't look too good..." Grantaire put his hand on her forehead. "Well, you don't have a fever, but you're going kinda pale. Here." He quickly drew her a glass of water and put it in her hand.

Éponine opened her eyes and smiled at him appreciatively. "Thanks.." She took a long sip and her heart rate began to slow just slightly. Grantaire chuckled; Éponine gave him a specular look. "What?!"

"'I haven't had symptoms' my ass!"

Éponine blushed. "Maybe now is the time."

"Time for what?" Jehan popped up on the other end of the counter, raising his glass for a refill.

Éponine rolled her eyes. "It's nothing."

"Pregnancy symptoms or something." Grantaire made a face.

Jehan's eyes snapped open. "What? How – how are you feeling?" He came around the counter and held her arm. "Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Who needs to go to the hospital?" Bahorel joined them at the counter; Éponine groaned.

"I take that as a yes!"

"No, Jehan! No. I do not need to go to the hospital. I am fine."

He backed off slightly when the door opened and Combeferre and Enjolras walked in; May was with him as well. "Are you sure?"

Éponine sighed and nodded, sliding off the stool. "Yes, darling, I'm fine."

Jehan stood straighter and cleared his throat, taking his refill from Grantaire. "Okay, well – you know.. If you need anything.."

Éponine smirked, going around the corner to greet Combeferre. "You'll be the first to know." She stepped into Combeferre's arms and pushed her face into his chest. He smelled of the hospital; it was comforting. "Nice to see you," she said, looking up with a smile.

"Nice to see you, too." He gently kissed her forehead and then moved away to go sit at the table. Éponine was about to sit down when she saw Enjolras head toward the counter, alone. After what she had been thinking about a little throughout the day, Éponine went behind the counter.

"What'll it be?" she asked, not looking up from the cash register.

Enjolras, as well, didn't look away from the menu board. "Um.. Strawberry ice-tea, please."

"Trying something new?" Éponine rung it up. "Three dollars even. Thank you."

"No. It's – ah – it's for May."

"Right." Éponine quickly made the tea and handed it to Enjolras. "Wait, Enjolras."

He turned around, exasperated. "What?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Enjolras set the tea down on the counter and nodded, running his tongue over his teeth. "Shoot."

"Will you take a paternity test?"


	5. Symptoms

**Hello everyone! Brittany here…happy Superbowl Sunday (go BRONCOS!) Sorry for the slight lateness of this chapter; I've really been doing nothing so I have no excuse so there's that. As always, the reviews and support are greatly appreciated! **

* * *

A week later, Éponine was eating her words.

Pregnancy symptoms showed up quickly, and way too intense for her liking. It started Monday morning when she stumbled blindly out of bed after Combeferre's alarm, startling him as he was stepping into the shower, to puke her guts out in the toilet. He sighed, before reaching into the shower to turn off the water. He wrapped a towel loosely around his hips, and crouched down next to Éponine, a hesitant hand reaching up to gather her hair behind her head as she continued to empty her stomach. When finished, she wearily leaned against the toilet, her breathing heavy.

"Fuck." She said bluntly, and Combeferre had to bite back laughter at her assessment of the situation.

"Fuck." He agreed, his right hand still holding back her hair, while his left stroked her shoulder.

"I thought I was going to avoid this." Éponine moaned, residual tears pricking her eyes.

"The book said it would only happen in the first trimester, right? We're already almost through the first trimester, so logically, it won't happen for long."

Éponine struggled to sit up, the back of her hand shifting to wipe her mouth. She grimaced as she peered into the toilet, before quickly flushing the contents. She accepted a hand from Combeferre, and stood on shaking legs. Combeferre – always one step ahead – held out her toothbrush, which she accepted gratefully.

"I hope you're right." She said through a mouthful of toothpaste. Combeferre nodded vigorously.

"So many books said it, it can't be wrong."

"Plus," Éponine said, pausing to spit. "It's only _morning_ sickness, right?"

* * *

Again, Éponine had to eat her words. Halfway through the day on Monday, Grantaire arrived downstairs to work holding a plate of bacon. The smell had drifted toward Éponine and before Grantaire had time to say "look what I made!" she was already dashing to the toilet.

"Ep, what on earth – " Grantaire said, pushing his way into the bathroom to find Éponine crouched in front of the toilet, her breathing heavy. "Oh no, I thought you were going to skip this."

"Me too." Éponine ground out, perspiration beading on her forehead. She had only eaten a bagel around 10; _why_ couldn't she keep it down?

"So, no bacon." Grantaire said humorously, but a glare from Éponine wiped the smile off his face. "No jokes either."

* * *

Tuesday found Joly almost in tears in the corner of the café. Éponine's day had consisted of eating and vomiting, and when Joly arrived at the Musain around 3, he had the express misfortune of asking her how her day had gone.

"How is my day?" Éponine asked, before laughing humorlessly. "My day has been _shit_ you wanna know why?"

She then proceeded to list every single thing that had gone wrong, from her employees failing to show (again), to Grantaire's breath smelling so strongly of beer that _she_ might have gotten drunk off the smell, to the four times she had vomited, to Combeferre's phone ringing in the middle of the night, to the espresso machine malfunctioning and spraying her with coffee…

The yelling went on until Éponine realized Joly's very real distress, which then caused _her _distress, which led to her anger evaporating and sobbing to commence. Joly went from being terrified to confused in seconds flat, and he hesitantly reached out to place a comforting hand on Éponine, which led to her flinging herself at him, and apologizing profusely for yelling at him.

In all, Joly had never been so confused.

* * *

On Wednesday, Éponine spent much of the day dozing off in various places. Right before lunch, Grantaire found her, head resting on her hand, asleep on the counter. He laughed, before gently waking her up and suggesting she go home and rest for the day.

"Nah, 'Taire, it's normal. Progesterone levels and all that." She said, waving a hand in indifference. "I'll be fine."

When Combeferre arrived later in the afternoon, he found only Grantaire, and a handful of customers.

"Where's my girlfriend?" He asked, to which Grantaire shrugged.

"Not sure…she went to the bathroom a little while ago, but she's probably puking, and she told me not to leave the counter."

Combeferre, unsure if Éponine was in danger, rushed to the bathroom. He pushed the door open frantically, his head whipping around to find Éponine. When he finally did, he let out a laugh of surprise.

Éponine was asleep, her head on the toilet, one hand resting on the flusher, the other under her face.

"Hey, honey, wake up." Combeferre said quietly, his hand touching her shoulder as he tried to rouse her.

"What?" She asked tiredly, her eyes opening slowly to adjust to the light. "Oh, not again."

"Again?"

"This is the fourth time I've fallen asleep today." Éponine groaned. Combeferre raised an eyebrow in amusement, before gently pulling her to her feet.

"Let's go home and rest." He suggested, and despite her earlier objection to the idea, Éponine agreed, and allowed Combeferre to lead her to his car.

She was asleep before he had the chance to turn it on.

* * *

Thursday morning dawned bright and loud; Combeferre's alarm, for whatever reason, seemed especially shrill to Éponine.

"Turn it off." She moaned, before rolling onto her stomach. As she did so, she let out a squeak of pain. "Ow! Shit!"

"What is it?" Combeferre asked, his body twisting quickly to face her.

"My boobs, ow…" Éponine groaned, before turning back onto her side. "Ow…" She pouted, before poking her left breast with a finger. "Ow."

"Can I try that?" Combeferre asked mischievously, his hand resting on Éponine's side.

"No…" She moaned, her voice still cloudy with sleep. "But." She said suddenly, a small smirk stretching across her face. "How about we…" Without another word she pushed Combeferre onto his back, before rolling her own body onto his. Careful not to crush her now tender breasts, she straddled him, her small hands holding down his shoulders as he tried to grasp onto her hips.

She could already feel him through the thin fabric of her underwear. One swift move and Combeferre had pulled down his boxers, his erection freed and resting against Éponine's pelvis. She raised herself onto her knees, her fingers pulling at her panties. She smiled to herself as Combeferre helped her pull them down; they hadn't done this…this quick, lazy morning sex, in awhile, and she was eager to…

"Fuck." Éponine said, her eyes widening. She pushed Combeferre's hands away from her hips and quickly jumped off of him, practically leaping off the bed. A couple seconds later, Combeferre heard the distinct sound of vomit.

"Dammit." He swore quietly, as he sent a sad glance toward his still erect penis. He sighed, before pulling his boxers up and following Éponine to the bathroom.

* * *

"What's it gonna be today?" Courfeyrac questioned mysteriously, rubbing his hands together maniacally. It was Friday, and they were all wondering which of Éponine's pregnancy symptoms would be the most prevalent (Joly was just hoping to stay out of the way).

"Very funny." Éponine said, pushing Courfeyrac's shoulder lightly before taking a seat next to him. "Just don't ask me to have sex with you again, please." The day before, Courfeyrac had thought it would be 'funny' to see if he could take advantage of "an increased sex drive" (as he had read in a pregnancy book), and see if Éponine would have sex with him. She had fixed him with a cold stare, and Combeferre had hit him on the back of the head.

"I won't, you know that was just a joke!" Courfeyrac said lightly, his face lit with a grin.

"It probably wouldn't have been a joke if I had said yes." Éponine deadpanned, to which Courfeyrac shrugged.

"You could only be so lucky."

In response, Éponine stuck her tongue out. "In all seriousness, today's symptom is…peeing. I can't stop. I've gone 14 times today."

"Holy shit." Grantaire said, his eyes wide. "That's more than me on a standard night out."

"Tell me about it."

"So, we've had puking, mood swings, sleeping, peeing…no increased sex drive though…." A cough from Combeferre cut Courfeyrac off, and he glanced up. "Okay, ew, so yes to the increased sex drive, that's gross guys…so what's left?"

"Cravings, dizziness, and heartburn." A voice from the corner of the table recited. Everyone looked over to Enjolras, who was studying a law book. "I looked it up."

"Aw! Look at Uncle Enjolras stepping up to the task!" Cosette teased. Enjolras's face turned slightly pink, his gaze drifting over to Éponine.

"Just want to be prepared." He said nonchalantly, before looking back down at his book.

As everyone – including Combeferre – lauded Enjolras's research, Éponine felt a distinct turning of her stomach that had nothing to do with morning sickness.

* * *

**woah major asshole moment from Enjolras, though of course, no one except for Éponine knows what's going on. We had a few comments asking for humor/pregnancy symptom issues, so this was the product of that. A little filler-ish, but humor was overdue; it is, after all, a les amis story, and there are plenty of opportunities for hilarity, especially with a pregnancy thrown in! **

**Hope everyone enjoyed, and if anyone is wondering what's going on with the paternity test, that will be touched on next chapter, which will be written by the wonderful Jessica (SleepingwithinWater). She has also just started a new story called "Witness" which is over on her page – definitely check it out. **

**Thanks for reading, everyone; we really appreciate it! Until next time! xoxo Brittany**


	6. Introductions

**Chapter six **

**A/N: And now I will relieve you all of your suspense regarding the paternity test.**

**Enjoy!**

**- Jess**

* * *

Enjolras knew he was an ass.

That much about him was obvious.

So, when Éponine had asked him to take a paternity test two weeks earlier, his initial reaction was to dismiss her request with some biting remark about how the baby surely wasn't his and how she shouldn't have been so irresponsible when it came to knowing who the father was.

But he hadn't.

"_Will you take a paternity test?"_

_Enjolras frowned deeply. He took the iced tea off the counter and curled his fingers around the cup. "Excuse me?" Enjolras' nostrils flared as he stared into Éponine's inquisitive eyes._

"_You heard what I said." Her cheeks grew to be stained with red throughout the next several, silent moments. She looked away, laying her palms flat on the counter._

"_Yes, I did, but I will ask you again: excuse me?"_

_Éponine turned her head and stared at Enjolras, her eyes hard. "Enjolras." She ground the word out through tightly clenched teeth._

_Clearing his throat and waving to May over his shoulder, he refocused on Éponine and raised an eyebrow. "You want me – to take a paternity test?" He pointed to her stomach. "To see if that child is mine?"_

_Éponine wrapped her arms around her middle. "That's what I said."_

"_No."_

_She looked up, her lower lip caught between her teeth. "What?"_

"_No, I won't take the test."_

"_But, Enjolras, I –"_

_He shrugged and began walking away. "I'm sorry. This – this just isn't my problem."_

But of course, it was his problem.

It could be a life-altering problem, for God's sake. So why was he brushing it off so easily?

He slapped the cover of his law book down and put his head into his hands. He had two giant papers due in three days – one of which he hadn't even started yet. To top it all off, his parents had invited him over to dinner on Friday. And they wanted him to bring May along as well.

Enjolras was hesitant to accept his parent's invitation partly because of his crap-load of schoolwork and partly because he didn't want to give May the wrong idea.

May was a nice girl, most definitely. Though they only had been dating for a little more than three months, Enjolras had settled into actually liking dating life. Seeing as she was his first official girlfriend, the lads hadn't stopped ragging on him since they made the announcement. She brought a nice amount of color into his life.

But bringing her home to his parents sounded too risky.

Surely she would get the wrong impression.

Enjolras had no intention of_ marrying _her – or anyone for that matter.

There was a knock on his apartment door.

Enjolras slid off his bar stool and walked to the door, throwing it open. May stood in the hallway smiling brightly; Enjolras only managed a half-smile, letting her come through the door.

Already she began making herself at home, shrugging off her coat and tossing it over the back of the couch. She shook her orange curls loose of their tight bun and sat down on the couch, patting the place beside her. Enjolras took a seat beside her and leaned his head on the back of the couch, blowing out a deep breath. May laughed lightly and trailed her fingers through his hair.

"How was your day?"

"Tiring," he replied, eyes closed tightly.

"I can tell. Do you need me to get you anything?"

He shook his head and took her hand. "No. Thank you, though."

"Of course."

"I was wondering," he finally began, glancing at their entwined hands. "How would you feel about going to dinner with me?"

May's smile spread across her face. "That would be lovely, but – "

"It's with my parents."

Her face frozen between elation and fright. "Your – your parents?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I haven't seen them in awhile and when I mentioned having a girlfriend over the phone, Mom invited you and I over to dinner."

May's hand slipped from Enjolras and flew to her cheek. "That sounds wonderful, honey! When is it?"

"Tomorrow," Enjolras drawled, silently hoping she wouldn't able to go; then he could get out of it.

"Well, I'm free! What time do you want to pick me up?" May stood up from the couch and picked up her coat, throwing it over her arm. Enjolras, slightly confused, stood up and followed her to the door.

"Six?"

Stopping at the door, May turned around and put a hand on his shoulder, kissing the corner of his mouth lightly. "Sounds perfect! I'm going to dash home and finish some work, so I'll be all squared away for tomorrow."

Enjolras smiled – though it was forced. "Great," he said slowly, opening the door for her. "See you tomorrow, then."

She blew him a kiss and flounced out the door.

Enjolras slammed the door shut and groaned.

Relationships were not his cup of tea.

* * *

The next evening, at six o'clock sharp, Enjolras rapped his knuckles on May's apartment door. A few moments later, she opened the door.

He had to take a moment to take it all in.

She wore a white, pleated skirt that hung just below her knees, white, floral shirt, and brown belt; tan Mary-Janes were on her feet. All in all, she was the picture of innocence and grace. Enjolras was slightly taken back with how _perfect _she looked.

"You look… great," he whispered.

May blushed and shrugged, looping her arm through his. "It's nothing. You look pretty handsome yourself, though."

Leading her to the car, he opened and door and then got in on her side. Almost immediately, May began filling his ears with reassurances that the dinner would go splendidly and how excited she was to meet his parents.

He didn't have the heart to tell her that the dinner didn't mean anything for their relationship. Sure, he'd been an ass when the _Amis _were talking about Éponine's pregnancy symptoms. But that was because he was still stinging from her request for the paternity test.

Though Enjolras was a cold man, he couldn't bring himself to shatter May's dreams of their relationship ever going further all at once. He would let her have her dinner, and he would figure out how to tell her a week or so later.

They pulled into the driveway of his childhood home: an immaculate, Victorian style mansion, complete with extensive grounds, a pool in the back, and tennis court (Not that anyone in his family actually played tennis.). He parked in front of the porch and stepped out of the car, going around to open May's door.

She ogled as she stepped out, her hand attached tightly to Enjolras' arm. "Gee whiz," she breathed.

Enjolras colored. He'd always been slightly ashamed of the house he'd grown up in. Rarely did he invite his friends to come over as a child – unless their parents knew his parents through the country club or something. Then they would probably have a house the same size and grandeur as his; and it wasn't that he was discriminating toward people who didn't have a house like his. But something about the way their eyes lit up and they spent the rest of the evening in a daze, staring at all the imported painting and rugs and mounted animals had always annoyed Enjolras as a child. He wanted them to like him for him; not for the size of his house.

"It's nothing," Enjolras said.

"Really?" May scoffed.

"Really." Enjolras tore his arm away from May's hand, ringing the doorbell. She didn't say anything, but he could feel her quizzical eyes on his back.

It took a few moments before the door was opened and they were ushered in by the butler, Alexander. He took Enjolras' light jacket and May's handbag. "Come this way," he said, leading the pair into a large drawing room off the foyer. "Your parents will be in soon, sir."

"Thank you, Alex," Enjolras said. He crossed to an open bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey, downing it in one gulp. He sighed, setting the glass down.

"Enj, I'm sorry –" May took a step toward him, her eyes full of concern and regret.

"No, May, I'm sorry."

"What is it?" she asked, reaching out to put her hand on his arm. "What did I do?"

Enjolras shook his head, smiling ruefully. "Nothing. I just don't like this place very much."

May cocked her head to the side. "That's odd. Why –"

She was interrupted by the sound of Enjolras' mother bursting into the room, pulling him into a large squeeze. "Charlie!"

He sputtered, his face heating from embarrassment. "Mo – mother!"

She pulled away, patting his cheek. "Oh, gosh. I'm sorry! It's been so long, honey."

"I know. I'm sorry, Mother." He seemed to be doing a lot of apologizing lately.

Claire Enjolras was a petite woman of fifty, her face remarkably devoid of wrinkles thanks to bottles of cream and face-lifts. Enjolras' father, Sebastian, on the other hand, was a large man of fifty-five. He was rounder in the stomach than how he had appeared when Enjolras was child. A prominent factory owner and CEO, Sebastian had made his fortune young. He set his young wife, then pregnant with Enjolras' older brother James, up in the giant house on the hill and they had lived there ever since.

"Dad," Enjolras said, sticking out his hand.

Sebastian shook it, clapping his hand on Enjolras' elbow. "Good to see you again, kid."

Contrary to what his friends though, Enjolras' relationship with his parents was quite fine. His friends were under the impression that their relationship was filled with hatred and resentment. Though Enjolras and his father argued about how Enjolras had decided to become a lawyer instead of taking over the family business, everyone got along well.

After a moment of tense and slightly awkward silence, Enjolras finally remembered to introduce May to his parents. They took to her quickly, his mother fanning over her as if she was the only girl he had ever brought home. In truth, she _was_, but Enjolras would never admit that out loud.

Alex came into the drawing room and cleared his throat loudly. "Dinner is served, ma'am."

"Oh, wonderful!" Claire looped her arm into May's. "Come, sit by me, darling."

Enjolras shared a look with May; she was overwhelmed already.

This was going to be a long night.


End file.
